Recap: The Challenge of the LabVIEW Champions

NI Connect provides a unique opportunity for engineers, innovators, and fans of emerging technology to come together and learn from experts, discover the latest in NI hardware and software products, and connect with partners and colleagues. And for a few LabVIEW Champions, it was also an opportunity to put their LabVIEW expertise to the ultimate test during the Challenge of Champions.?

For those unfamiliar, individuals given the distinction of LabVIEW Champions are top-tier enthusiasts recognized by NI for their profound technical expertise and influential role in the LabVIEW community. They combine technical mastery with a passion for advocacy, driving the platform forward through their leadership and constructive input.?

Beyond their technical mastery and exceptional breadth of expertise, these Champions are known for their positive contributions and dedication to the LabVIEW community. During NI Connect 2024, among a crowd of enthusiasts, colleagues, and friends, they demonstrated their expertise in a competitive event, energizing the audience with their passion for LabVIEW and fostering a sense of community.?

?Austin’s Favorite LabVIEW Quiz Competition?

?Organized and facilitated by NI’s Software Community Director Elijah Kerry, the Challenge of LabVIEW Champions took place on the Tech Talk Stage in the Experience Lounge at NI Connect on Monday afternoon. The Jeopardy-style quiz competition consisted of platform-specific questions that put four distinguished, fervent, and active LabVIEW users to the test.??

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?The game show software used to run through the questions was written by Kerry himself, in LabVIEW, using the Actor Framework. It's open-source and published on GitHub, allowing LabVIEW fans to not only enjoy the game but also learn from its code. The LabVIEW quiz questions were created in partnership with NI LabVIEW experts Norm Kirchner and Darren Nattinger. (Fun fact: Darren’s family was enamored with gaming together, and his father studied the Jeopardy game show buzzers to create realistic replicas that were used during this event.)??

Let the Games Begin??

?Let’s meet the four contestants. Buzzers in hand on the stage and ready to play were LabVIEW Champions Chris Cilino, Senior Project Engineer at DMC Engineering, Quentin “Q” Alldredge, Chief Software Architect at Testeract, Chris Roebuck, Chief Technology Officer at Konrad Technologies, and Becky Linton, Senior Systems Engineer and Engineering Team Lead at Konrad Technologies. Becky enthusiastically kicked off Round 1 with the category “Front Panel,” and thus the games began.??

With additional categories including, “Block Diagram,” “Code Review,” “History,” and “Internal,” the heat was on our contestants, and the questions left many, including audience members, on the edge of their seats eager to arrive at the correct answers and prove their LabVIEW proficiency.??

At the end of Round 1, it was Chris Cilino who walked away victorious, though as Round 2 commenced, the competition pressed on.??

Round 2 began with a pivot to general knowledge of Science Fiction, Space, Technology, History, and yet again, Code Review, and the crowd quickly began to grow as the spectacle on the Tech Talk Stage garnered excitement from the motivated and energetic audience. With any question left unanswered by our contestants on the stage, hands shot up from the crowd with answers at the ready. Ultimately, Round 2’s victory went to Quentin “Q” Alldredge, who had become a crowd-favorite due to his quick and eager responses.??

?By the beginning of Round 3, the crowd that had gathered to watch the four LabVIEW Champions participate in a battle of knowledge had become integral to the proceedings—so much so that three lucky audience members were given the opportunity to take the stage themselves, alongside Alldredge, to compete in the final round.??

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?Everyone's a Winner??

?What began as a competition to determine the Champion of LabVIEW Champions grew to be something much greater. LabVIEW enthusiasts, inspired spectators, and NI Connect attendees came together to celebrate a shared passion for technology, dedication to continuous learning, and an enthusiasm for blending the technical and the whimsical. It’s moments like these that solidify what LabVIEW users across the world already know to be true: it’s all about community.?

What’s next for LabVIEW? NI has reaffirmed our commitment to the platform, and we are excited about improving LabVIEW and continuing to nurture the community behind it. For more information on the latest LabVIEW features, tune into our LabVIEW for the Modern Age webinar, available now on-demand.